Office for Sports Promotion

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government provides support to improve the competitiveness of Tokyo athletes so that they can play an active role on the international stage including the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Established a certification system.

On this page, we will interview certified athletes on the theme of ``Let's grow ourselves through sports and think about a better relationship between sports and society.''

10th Takumi Ouchi (Nakano Ward) Wheelchair Tennis

【profile】
Takumi Ouchiyama Born May 2004, 5 26th grade at Musashidai Elementary School, Nakano Ward
Her team is Urayasu Junior Wheelchair Tennis Club.
My favorite movie is the Star Wars series
Sainokuni Kawagoe Water Park Wheelchair Tennis Tournament (2016) Junior class runner-up
33rd place in the 3rd Japan Wheelchair Tennis Championship Junior Tournament (2016), etc.

I want to go out into the world with my favorite tennis!
Showing that you are working hard is the way to return the favor.

“I might lose,”
I want to change my weak self!

"When you stand on the court, you're all alone. There's no one to help you. That's why in tennis, if you're not mentally strong, you won't be able to win in important tournaments."

Wheelchair tennis player Takumi Ouchi says that the most important thing in tennis is to ``maintain a strong spirit.''That said, he learned from the painful experience of defeat.
　In April 2016, Ouchiyama was able to get into a close match for the first time against a player who was said to be stronger than him.Although my opponent is the same age as me, he has a long competitive history and is very powerful, so although I have faced him several times in the past, I have never been able to defeat him.However, on this day, he made his strong returns and seemed to be pushing his opponent into a corner.The flow is completely Ouchiyama.Just when Ouchiyama, as well as the audience, were convinced that Ouchiyama would win, there was a pitfall.The opponent must have been cornered and inspired.In the second half of the game, they seemed to change gears and quickly won three games in a row.The more I feel pressured, the more I go from "I might win" to "I might lose."I was heartbroken and lost the match. ``As I was recovering, I could feel my heart sinking more and more, and I also felt the difference in our abilities.''More than anything, he couldn't forgive himself for not fighting until the end.When he left the court, he couldn't stop crying.

Since then, she has read tennis books and other books looking for hints, with the sole intention of ``strengthening her feelings.''One book that particularly resonated with me was one that analyzed sports psychology from the perspective of Kei Nishikori's strength and what coach Michael Chang taught him. ``The most memorable thing for Nishikori, who had become stronger through conversations with coaches and through various experiences, was what he said before the US Open final: ``There is no one I can't beat.'' I want to become a player who can say things like that and go into games with confidence."

My life dedicated to tennis is now fun, and the support from those around me gives me the strength to do my best!　

Ouchiyama has used a wheelchair since he contracted a spinal cord disease when he was one and a half years old.He started playing tennis when he was in the third grade of elementary school.
"A friend of mine who used to play wheelchair tennis asked me if I could not only watch the game, but also try out a match, and even though I didn't know the rules, I decided to try it out. I went out there just for a short time, and to my surprise, I won my first match.I had played wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball before, but when I tried it, I realized that tennis was the most fun. I thought not.”
　When I looked for a place where I could play wheelchair tennis, I found the Tokyo Metropolitan Comprehensive Sports Center for the Disabled in Kita Ward, and decided to start going there.There, he met Yoshiteru Hoshi, a pioneer in the wheelchair tennis world and former coach of Shingo Kunieda.

``While I was practicing several times, Hoshi-san said to me, ``If you really want to play tennis,'' he negotiated with an organization that lends competitive wheelchairs, which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy, free of charge. When I saw that wheelchair in front of me, I realized that from now on, I was going to do my best at tennis.''
In addition to practicing here, I also practice at the Urayasu Junior Wheelchair Tennis Club three times a week.She attends physical training at a rehabilitation facility, and is now so busy with tennis that she has no time to play.
``I have never thought of quitting.I would like to express my gratitude to the people who have provided me with a wheelchair, and I want to show the people who support me that I am working hard.''

My dream is a Grand Slam or the Paralympics.
I want to learn English and talk to many foreign players!

Ouchiyama's immediate goal is to place in the top ranks at the domestic junior tournament.It's been three years since I started playing tennis, but there are still many hurdles I want to overcome.
　"What I'm good at is returning and countering the opponent's serve. My coach tells me to always play forward, so I'm going to practice hard so that I can stay strong both in spirit and in my play." .

When the subject of his favorite tennis player comes up, his words are so logical and clear that it's hard to believe he's an elementary school student.She also does a lot of research through books and videos.Kunieda, a legend in the world of wheelchair tennis, with whom he interacts at practice sessions and tournaments, is the player he respects the most.
``I met him a few times and he remembered my name. I'm really happy when he calls me ``Takumi.'' At the practice session the other day, I had time to ask questions, so I learned how to start rowing my wheelchair. I learned a lot from him, including how to catch up with the ball and hit the ball well."

He will enter junior high school this spring.After tennis, my other interest is English conversation.
``When I'm able to compete overseas, I want to ask junior players all kinds of questions.I also want to go to Switzerland, where Federer is from, and I hope to become a player who can participate in the Paralympics and Grand Slams in the future. I want to be active overseas."
The world of a 6th grade elementary school student is about to expand greatly thanks to wheelchair tennis.

Love reading

Ouchiyama loves reading books about tennis.What he introduced in his interview that day was ``Winner's Thinking Learned from Kei Nishikori and Michael Chang.''I wrote a book review about what I felt and learned from reading this book, submitted it as homework during summer vacation, and was awarded an award in a book review competition.

[Life skills learned through sports]

If you can convey your sincere desire to become stronger, many people will support you.By thanking them for their support and wanting to become stronger and repay them, their efforts become even more serious.Because it's a sport where you have to compete alone on the court, you want to develop not only your playing skills, but also your unwavering strength as a person.What can we do to achieve this?If you constantly think about these things and do what you can, you will improve your independence and spontaneity.